Terrell Perriman charged with rape, aggravated kidnapping of 17-year-old girl

SALT LAKE CITY — A University of Utah football player accused of sexually assaulting a teenager he invited to his apartment was charged Friday.

Terrell Maurice Perriman, 20, of Miami, was charged with rape, a first-degree felony, and aggravated kidnapping, a third-degree felony, in 3rd District Court following an incident on Jan. 23 in which he raped a 17-year-old girl, according to charging documents.

Perriman met the girl on Instagram and began conversing with her through texts and Snapchat before calling for an Uber to bring her to his apartment in Salt Lake City, according to the report. Once the girl arrived, Perriman brought her to his room and kept the door open.

But Perriman later closed the door, the charging documents say, and he began asking to have sex with the girl. She told him she was only 17 years old and was in high school, and that she was a virgin and didn’t want to have sex with him, the report says. She added that Perriman was “making her uncomfortable” and she wanted to leave.

Perriman proceeded to take her phone and stood in the doorway, telling her that the only way she was leaving was if she performed a sexual act on him or the two had sex, the report states. He later left the room to talk to a roommate, and the girl attempted to leave the apartment.

As the girl attempted to leave, Perriman covered her mouth and she tried to bite him, the charging documents say. He then threw her on his bed, pulled down her leggings and panties and raped her, the charging documents say. After the incident happend, Perriman called her an Uber and she went home.

The girl contacted police on Jan. 24, and Salt Lake City police arrested Perriman at his apartment on Thursday; he is now being held on $750,000 bail in the Salt Lake County Jail.

On Thursday, detective Greg Wilking of the Salt Lake police said there were “some indications that there might be other victims,” though he wasn’t certain; however, he said in these types of cases “there’s not just one victim — this is behavior that is repeated.” He asked any other potential victims to contact police.

Following Perriman’s arrest, the University of Utah suspended the redshirt freshman from the football program and head coach Kyle Whittingham said he takes the allegations “very serious.”

“Obviously, this does not reflect the values and standards of our program and we will continue to monitor the situation as it moves through the legal process,” Whittingham said in a statement Thursday. “We are cooperating with the authorities and university personnel and will continue to assist as requested. Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to comment further at this time.”

If convicted, Perriman faces up to five years to life. A court date has not been scheduled.

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